Owning Your Health (as it is) & 5 Practical Ways to Improve It

As I went through 2023, I noticed a few people that weren’t really being honest with themselves about their health situation and therefore weren’t putting in place things that would help them.

Seeing this in others is pretty easy for me now as I’ve done it so many times myself before. Like in 2022, when I was struggling with fatigue and a cough for months and kept trying to just push through. I kept thinking it would just go away and that I had to keep pushing through so I didn’t let work or family down. In reality, I was letting everyone down, including myself.

I finally went to the GP and found out I had long-COVID. Once I had a diagnosis, I decided to OWN IT! Working with the GP I got a health and work plan. This included using my sick leave to take a week off work to rest and then return just 4 days a week (having Wednesdays off as a rest day) for a couple of months. I also chatted to my therapist about how frustrating it was and leant into my mental health toolkit to boost my mood and change my mindset.

After another couple of months, I was back to full fitness and loving life again. Stepping up and really owning my health situation helped me put in place practical things that changed my long-term health. The short-term pain of working part-time, repeatedly seeing my GP, having tests, trying new meds, and getting on top of my mental health changed everything. I could have just kept going along struggling and putting an impost on my colleagues and family, but by taking ownership I eased the burden on everyone and got my health, career, and life back.

Your turn to OWN IT!

Looking down the barrel of 2024, take a moment, a real and honest moment, to assess your health situation. Ask yourself, "How’s my health right now?". Don’t think about how you want to be, or where you think you’ll be in 2 months.

Be raw, be honest, and a bit brutal with yourself. How is your health?

Once you’ve decided on it, then you need to OWN IT! And, I mean really own it.

Own where you are right now, not where you want to be.

I get that you might not want to own it. I usually don’t want too either. But by owning where you are really at, you can then put in place practical and tailored things that can help and get you to where you want to be.

Once you own and acknowledge where you’re really at, think about how your health is impacting the rest of your life.

Answer these questions:

• Do you have nagging issues you haven’t had checked out yet?
• Is it a struggle to maintain your current work schedule?
• Can you keep up with all your social engagements?
• Can you exercise a couple of times a week?
• Are medical expenses overwhelming at the moment?

Now we’re getting to the good stuff! You should know where you really stand, so let’s work through some practical things you can do to help.

Go get checked out!

If you’ve had that nagging health issue for a while now, go and get it checked out by a GP. Make the time to prioritise your health and make that appointment.

If you’re a bit low on cash after a Chrissy spending spree, jump onto the Healthdirect Service Finder and use the filter to find a GP service that bulk bills (aka is free). In Australia, there really is no reason not to see a GP and get checked out.

Work-Life-Health Balance

Working when you feel like rubbish is no fun for anyone (including your colleagues)!

I’m always surprised at the amount of people I meet who feel like rubbish but have oodles and oodles of leave and just won’t use it. They are unreliable because of their health but won’t collaborate with a GP and their workplace to sort out a better (often temporary) work arrangement.

I’ve been on both ends of this. As an employee I’ve been incredibly unreliable when I didn’t own my health situation. I was frustrated that I couldn’t be relied upon by my team mates to turn up regularly and scared that I’d damage my career trajectory by being unreliable or taking time off. What I have found time and time again is that by owning my health situation and using my leave creatively (like doing 4-day weeks) I gave myself and my team stability. My health also improved more faster, and my home life was better. It has also NEVER impacted my career trajectory, if anything I think it improved it. By taking ownership and using leave, I proved to my supervisor and team that I had self-awareness and was prepared to work collaboratively to find a temporary arrangement that gave us all stability and improved my health.

On the other hand, as a manger, watching someone struggle with their health is heartbreaking. Even when some staff have loads of leave and are offered workplace adjustments, they still don’t want to do it. The old mentality of needing to push through, or fear of letting people down, or some other story is holding them back. I would much rather an employee who came in and said they had a health issue and to get on top of it they needed some temporary workplace adjustments (with GP advice) I would be stoked. Even better if they have a proposal! It shows self-awareness, initiative, and a healthy respect for a work-health balance. As a manager it also gives me stability in managing a team, rather than having to make urgent adjustments regularly when they call up for unplanned leave, I know when they will be away and can make longer-term plans and have stability.

So, if you’re work-health balance is out of whack, take a look at your leave balances and sort out some temporary (or permanent) adjustments with your GP and workplace. Also, look at the stories that you’re telling yourself of why you can’t adjust your work-health balance. You can take them to your next chat with your mental health professional.

I totally get that you may not have a choice about work for a range of reasons, like needing the money, not having sick leave build up, and other needs. But I’ve done it myself and met so many others who have plenty of leave but won’t make adjustments for their work-health balance to write this.

Social life

If keeping up with friends feels tough, here are some simple ideas to make it easier. Start by letting your mates know about the challenges you're facing and explain how it might affect your get-togethers. They could be shorter or involve activities that are more relaxed and easy going.

Consider setting aside time for recovery after socialising, even if it's just dedicating half an hour to unwind. This break can make a significant difference in how you feel.

Instead of meeting in person, try having virtual catch-ups. You can relax at home in your trackie dacks, sipping on a cuppa while still enjoying the company of your friends. It's a low-energy way to stay connected without draining your energy on travel or outings.

When you're not feeling your best, it's normal to feel isolated and a bit lonely. Be creative in finding ways to stay connected. Whether it's through virtual games, video calls, or sharing a laugh over messages, these efforts can help maintain a sense of community. Remember, staying connected with friends is vital for emotional well-being, even if you need to make some adjustments.

Exercise

When I’m feeling rubbish, the first thing to drop off is exercise. But I’m learning from my own experience and evidence from research that exercise can be safe and effective for most people with chronic illness.

Don’t believe me, check out these meta-analyses, which are basically research studies that bring together and analyse several research studies so it’s got more data and you’re looking at several studies combined;

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of adherence to physical activity interventions among three chronic conditions: cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. 2019, BioMed Central (BMC) Public Health.
• Exercise therapy for functional capacity in chronic diseases: an overview of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials. 2017, British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The gist of the results is that if you have a chronic illness, you probably should be doing exercise. But don’t take my word for it, go see an exercise physiologist. Not just any ol person at your local gym. You need a university-trained exercise physiologist who is trained in how to manage chronic illness and exercise.

To find one near you, do a search on the Exercise and Sports Science Australia database. If you are short on cash, you can chat you’re your GP about getting a Medicare funded Chronic Illness Treatment Plan which can reduce the cost. Your health insurance may also cover some or all of the cost (give them a bell or check their website).

The punch line is, stay on the exercise wagon depending on your medical advice.

Healthcare Expenses

Healthcare is expensive, even with all the freebies from Medicare and the government. If you’re struggling or thinking of missing out on healthcare because of budget constraints check out my 5 simple and actionable steps you can take right now to get financial stability here.

I’ve read all the best-selling finance books, and I can tell you NONE of them cover the extra layer of healthcare finances you have to deal with when you have chronic illness. That's why I’m creating Australia’s first healthcare financing program.

The Adulting Well with Money program is the fastest and most effective way to ace your healthcare finances and get financial stability with chronic illness. In this program, you'll learn:

• The step-by-step process that shows you how to ace your healthcare finances in precise detail.
• The decisions you have to make that won't steal headlines, but will give you financial freedom.
• How to stop spinning your wheels about your healthcare finances, and learn strategies that will save you money, time and stress.
• And much, much more!

Sign up now to be the first to know when we open (and snag those early bird bonuses!).

Wrap up

Owning your health story isn't just a choice; it's the key to a better life. So, instead of making new years resolutions, take an honest stocktake of your health and then own the outcome. From the bottom of my broken heart, I hope that when you take stock, you’re chuffed with how your health is tracking. If not, make the tough and practical decisions now that will help you in the long run.

I promise you that your mates and career will still be there when your feeling good again. If anything, your career might have boost from your taking ownership of your situation, communicating clearly, and working collaboratively to find a stable and temporary solution.

Be creative and find other ways to get your health back on track. Lean into it and own it. That will mean making changes to how you’re currently doing things. If your really honest, what you’re doing now might not be working for you, so make the changes you need!

You’ve got this, and the Adulting Well community has got you too!

P.S.

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